Undergraduate Research Courses
Completing a research course connects class work to real-world applications and shows students how professional lab experiments run or how scientists use supercomputers.
All BS in Physics, BS in Biophysics and BS in Astronomy and Astrophysics students are required to complete one three-credit research course. BA in Physics students may also complete research courses for credit.
Consult your research advisor and the departmental undergraduate advisor for guidance on how to satisfy a research course. All majors in the Department of Physics also have to take the Physics Capstone (PHYS 4195W) course, which prepares students for doing research and guides them in defining a research project. All BS students also have to take the Physics Symposium (PHYS 4200) course, which guides students in preparing a written report on the research project, a poster presentation at the CCAS Research Showcase, and an oral presentation at the Physics Undergraduate Symposium Day.
Research Advisors
Every student wishing to complete a research course must choose a research advisor. The advisor oversees progress on the project, provides necessary assistance and determines the final grade.
The research advisor must be a member of the Physics Department faculty, even in cases when the project is completed in another department or another institution. Students may involve additional research advisors, pending agreement from the faculty research advisor and the departmental undergraduate advisor.
Students should carefully review the list of faculty by research group to find a potential research advisor and reach out to them directly. Students are also guided in this process during the capstone course.
Completed Undergraduate Symposium Research Projects
- May 1, 2026 Symposium
Rachel Wasserman: Simulations of Radio Transient Detectability: Improvements and Applications. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Sadie Burks: Breit-Wigner Transition Form Factors for Baryon Resonance. Advisor: Michael Doering
Pragya Natarajan: Switching it Up: Developing an Axial AES for SABPT Designs. Advisor: Michael Keidar
Olivia Nippe-Jeakins: From Optical to X-rays: Probing Environmental Interaction and Electron Acceleration in Gamma-Ray Bursts. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Logan Dempsey: How Thermal Sensing Gene Mutations Affect the Thermal Escape Behaviour of C. Elegans. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Meghan Foster: Monitoring Detector Stability for MUSE. Advisor: Evangeline J. Downie
- May 2, 2025 Symposium
Jaden Sicotte: A Study of Early Galaxy Characteristics Within the VANDELS DR4 Sample. Advisor: Nimisha Kumari
Alex Sadr: Investigating Adaptation of Caenorhabditis Elegans to Different Temperatures. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Ilana Stern: Probing AI Mechanics with a Biophysical Process. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu
Scott Pettyjohn: The Automation of Wildlife Conservation with AI. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Quinn Stefan: Shining a Light on Nuclear Structure with π− Photoproduction. Advisor: Axel Schmidt
James Parella: Image Analysis Using Machine Learning in the Field Study of Primates. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Michaela Schulman: A Look into the Early Universe Through High-Redshift Gamma Ray Burst Detection. Advisors: Hallie Fausey & Alexander van der Horst
Amy Georgescu: Laser Optimization in C. Elegans Behavioral Studies. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Andrew Kille: Optical and Acoustic Spin Dynamics Near Nodal Areas. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
Jordan Hadix: Investigating Data from the WISE Infrared Observatory Catalog to Identify and Classify Exotic
Objects. Advisor: Oleg KargaltsevAugust Friebolin: Preliminary Calculations for a Two-Photon Exchange Experiment at Jefferson Lab. Advisor: Axel Schmidt
Maxine Alexandre-Strong: Simulating the Swift XRT Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Population to Probe Electron Acceleration. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Cole Christensen: Novel Eigenworm Analysis for Nematode Behavior. Advisor: Mark Reeves
- May 2, 2024 Symposium
Leonard Liu: Measurement of Compton Scattering Differential Cross Section of 4 He at 85 MeV at HIγS. Advisor: Gerald Feldman
Julia Peters: Photogrammetry in the Field Study of Primates. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Phoenix Price: Characterizing a Three-Stage, μ-CAT MPD Pulsed Thruster for Cubesat Applications. Advisor: Michael Keidar
- May 5, 2023 Symposium
Emily Sullivan: Implementing mitigation measures in residential spaces to decrease the spread of COVID-19. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Logan Earnest: Probing nuclear structure by measurement of Σ beam spin asymmetry of π- photoproduction. Advisor: Axel Schmidt
Grace Bradley: Creating safer indoor meeting spaces in GW'S Corcoran Hall by tracking aerosol flows. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Gabe Grauvogel: Analyzing the energy resolution of a lead-tungstate calorimeter for a proposed two-photon exchange experiment. Advisor: Axel Schmidt
- April 29, 2022 Symposium
Annika Schmid: Nerve habituation in C. elegans. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Davie Loria: How the dice fall: investigating the final state probabilities of bevelled versus non-bevelled dice. Advisor: Gary White
Marisa Lazarus: Recognizing cold atmospheric plasma jet with computer vision. Advisor: Michael Keidar
Caden Gobat: Optical darkness in short-duration gamma-ray bursts. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
- April 30, 2021 Symposium
Kevin Heo: Quantitative Analysis of the Interaction of DNA and Divalent Cations. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu
Ujwal Kumar: Systematically Searching for VLITE Transients. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Christian Longton: Vortices and Ferris Wheels from Acoustic Multipoles. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
Isabella Grimaldi: Searching for Pulsar Microlensing Candidates. Advisor: Oleg Kargaltsev
Nicholas Feliciano: Fast Scanning Calorimetry Study of Crystalline Ice Films to Determine Vaporization Kinetics near Ice Melting Point. Advisor: Vladislav Sadtchenko
Michael Chevalier: Investigation into IVGQR via Compton Scattering. Advisor: Gerald Feldman
Ruby Duncan: Making the Most of Radio Peaks in Gamma Ray Burst Afterglows. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Daniel Piatigorski: Identifying and Classifying Biological Nanoparticles using Ilastik. Advisor: Mark Reeves
- April 30, 2020 Symposium
Miya Bernal: Fractionation of DNA by Length with Neutral Polymers. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu
Kyucheol Lee: Time Series Analysis of the Light Curve through a Method of Fast Fourier Transformation. Advisor: Kalvir Dhuga
Morgan Joyce: A Study on Improving Modern Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detectors. Advisor: Sylvain Guiriec
Stephanie Braddock: Simulating High-Redshift Gamma Ray Bursts for SCORPIO. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Jose Nazario: Application of Machine Learning to π0 Photoproduction. Advisor: Gerald Feldman
Eric Boulter: Audio Instrument Isolation via De-Noising Auto-Encoder. Advisor: Sylvain Guiriec
Lexie Weikert: Applying Machine Learning to Radio Transient Searches. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Jane Peabody: It's Not Just a Phase: Quantum and Topological Characteristics of Light in Phase Singular Regions. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
Cameron Swanson: Engineering a Low-SWaP RF System for Radio Astronomy. Advisor: Sylvain Guiriec
Patrick Skawski: Simulating Gamma-Ray Bursts to Understand SCORPIO Capabilities for Host Galaxy Studies. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Bryce Halter: Payload Development for Sub-Scale Sounding Rockets. Advisor: Sylvain Guiriec
Elias Alstead: Ion Interactions with an Optical Vortex. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
Jason Starita: Conceptions of Community among Learning Assistants and Physics Majors. Advisor: Gary White
- May 2, 2019 Symposium
Shannon Babcock: Synthesis and Screening of Optical Biosensor for Ubiquitin Binding Characterization. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Jacquelyn Veatch: Investigating Osmotic and Ionic Tolerance Catalyzed by Saltwater Intrusion in Germinating Crop Species. Advisor: Keryn Gedan
Ian Dragulet: On the Landing Probabilities of Irregular Dice. Advisor: Gary White
Nathalya Ramirez: Diffusive and Deterministic Transport in Gels. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Erin Mulhearn: A Microscopic View into Amylin Aggregation. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Zachary Ho: Developing an Automatic Pipeline to Improve Productivity in GRB Analysis. Advisor: Sylvain Guiriec
Rohan Patil: Analytical Metrics and The Future of Telemedicine. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Elizabeth Rossi: The Underlying Nuclear Physics Aspects of Proton Radiation Therapy. Advisor: Noel Guardala
Sarah Schrup: Cardio-oncology: Applying Light Modulation Techniques to Chromatin Remodeling Regulation In Vitro. Advisor: Emilia Entcheva
Jack Hirschman: Detector Integration for MUSE. Advisor: Evangeline J. Downie
- May 3, 2018 Symposium
Sophia Donovan: The Sleeping Monster: NuSTAR observations of SGR 1806-20, 11 years after the Giant Flare. Advisor: George Younes
Obinna Ome Irondi: Biosensor Development for Ubiquitin Binding Characterization. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Tyler Samuels: Phase Singularities in Twisted Light Interference Patterns. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
George Sangiolo: Morphological trajectories during the T1 transition in gap-free cell monolayers. Advisor: Ganhui Lan
Samantha Lumpkin: Interference of Neutron Beams with Different Topological Charges. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
Kara Zielinski: Amylin Aggregation Kinetics. Advisor: Mark Reeves
- May 2, 2017 Symposium
Mikeala Sparks: The Basics Rebuilt: Composition, Injury Prevention, and Generating Power from the Rowing Stroke. Advisor: Bill Briscoe
Joseph Revier: Correlations of pi-N Partial Waves for Multi-Reaction Analysis. Advisor: Michael Doring
David Plotnick: Metabolic Comparison via Microprobe CE-ESI-MS. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu
Joseph Crandall: Bismuth Telluride Flowability & Characterization. Advisor: Xiangyun Qiu
Alessi Kidd: Probing Different Emission Components in Gamma-Ray Burst Light Curves. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Frank Carmody: What is the Purpose of Physics Experiments? Advisor: Gary White
Matthew Kasturas: Neutron Vortex Scattering on Crystalline Structures. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
Oliver Berroteran. Advisor: Andrei Afanasev
- April 29, 2016 Symposium
Jacob Maibach. Advisor: Weiqun Peng
James Ranfone. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Brian Alden. Advisor: Alexander van der Horst
Srividya Murthy. Advisor: Mark Reeves
Michael Helton. Advisor: Mark Reeves